Gunmen kill 16 at Ivory Coast beach resort

A welcoming but fragile country suffers cruel blow
Another country’s welcoming but fragile tourism industry suffered a cruel blow yesterday as gunmen opened fire on people on a beach at the Ivory Coast resort of Grand-Bassam.
At least 16 people were killed and bodies were left strewn on the beach as heavily-armed terrorists prowled the beach shouting “Allahu Akbar!” according to one witness.
Identities of the victims are still being confirmed but four westerners are among the dead including a French and a German national.
Grand-Bassam is around 40 kilometres from the capital Abidjan and is popular with tourists as well as foreign and local residents.
As President Alassane Ouattara visited the scene he said that 14 civilians and two special-forces troops had been killed as the attack targeted three hotels. Six gunmen were also killed. “The toll is heavy,” he said as he visited the scene.AFP